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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. staff — a stick
  3. band — a ring
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mug — to rob
  18. staff — employees
  19. mug — a face
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rule — government
  22. board — a committee
  23. mug — a cup
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com